The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
Protective cabinets can be used in a variety of applications, and are typically used to house sensitive components that could be damaged if exposed to the outside environment. For example, protective cabinets can house uninterruptible power supplies, audio/video equipment, computing devices, mechanical equipment, biological equipment, etc.
In the context of, e.g., an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), the device typically provides power to critical equipment that cannot experience any interruption in service. A UPS is typically used in circumstances where even a short duration brownout or blackout is unacceptable. Examples of such critical equipment include, e.g., computer servers, computer networks, telecommunication electronics, medical devices, security networks, and the like. An uninterruptable power supply makes regulated power available to the critical equipment regardless of the status of the power supply from the power grid.
In a conventional uninterruptible power supply, the components of the UPS are housed in a protective cabinet (typically, comprising a metallic material). The metal cabinet protects the circuitry and other components of the UPS from damage or debris.
The UPS, including its protective cabinet, can be positioned in a power sub-station in a building to receive uninterruptible power. The UPS is usually connected to a battery bank, generator, AC power line, etc. In order to connect the UPS to the respective input/output lines, knockout plates, located in the protective cabinet can be used to gain access to the UPS. The knockout plates can be located at the top of the protective cabinet. These knockout plates are created and removed so as to allow the installation of cables to the UPS through the knocked out holes.
However, when these knockout plates are created and removed, debris can be generated, such as metal shavings, which can fall below into the sensitive UPS electronic components (or other electrical or mechanical components) underneath the knockout plates. If any of the falling debris lands on the UPS componentry, there is a risk that the debris will cause a short circuit, potentially causing serious damage and harm to the UPS and it surrounding environment. As a large amount of current can be flowing through the UPS, any short circuit in the UPS can be very dangerous.